Ground-based active optical sensors (GBAOS) have been successfully used in agriculture to predict crop yield potential (YP) early in the season and to improvise N rates for optimal crop yield. However, the models were found weak or inconsistent due to environmental variation especially rainfall. The objectives of the study were to evaluate if GBAOS could predict YP across multiple locations, soil types, cultivation systems, and rainfall differences. This study was carried from 2011 to 2013 on corn (Zea mays L.) in North Dakota, and in 2017 in potatoes in Maine. Six N rates were used on 50 sites in North Dakota and 12 N rates on two sites, one dryland and one irrigated, in Maine. Two active GBAOS used for this study were GreenSeeker and Holland Scientific Crop Circle Sensor ACS 470 (HSCCACS-470) and 430 (HSCCACS-430). Rainfall data, with or without including crop height, improved the YP models in term of reliability and consistency. The polynomial model was relatively better compared to the exponential model. A significant difference in the relationship between sensor reading multiplied by rainfall data and crop yield was observed in terms of soil type, clay and medium textured, and cultivation system, conventional and no-till, respectively, in the North Dakota corn study. The two potato sites in Maine, irrigated and dryland, performed differently in terms of total yield and rainfall data helped to improve sensor YP models. In conclusion, this study strongly advocates the use of rainfall data while using sensor-based N calculator algorithms.
The wear behavior of alumina particulate reinforced A332 aluminium alloy composites produced by a stir casting process technique were investigated. A pin-on-disc type apparatus was employed for determining the sliding wear rate in composite samples at different grain size (1 µm, 12µm, 50 nm) and different weight percentage (0.05-0.1-0.5-1) wt% of alumina respectively. Mechanical properties characterization which strongly depends on microstructure properties of reinforcement revealed that the presence of ( nano , micro) alumina particulates lead to simultaneous increase in hardness, ultimate tensile stress (UTS), wear resistances. The results revealed that UTS, Hardness, Wear resistances increases with the increase in the percentage of
... Show MoreA theoretical study including the effects of the fusion characteristics parameters on the fundamental fusion rate for the BEC state in D-D fusion reaction is deal with varieties physical parameters such as the fuels density, fuel temperature and the astrophysics S-factor are processed to bring an approximately a comparable results to agree with the others previously studies.
Purpose: This study's objective is to assess this relationship in the context of the banking industry in Iraq. The human resources management practices (HRMPs) Theoretical framework: in this study included recruiting and selection, training and development, performance appraisal, compensation and reward to testing relationship HRMPs. Design/methodology/approach: in this study; We analysed by used a quantitative approach, and 246 employees were selected as a sample and given a questionnaire. The SPSS software was used to examine the data that were obtained from the questionnaire. Findings: The study's findings revealed a variety of hypotheses and conclusions, including the following: comp
... Show MoreLinear and nonlinear optical properties of epoxy/ Al2O3 nanocomposites system were studied for epoxy neat and (0.5, 1.5, 3, and 5) % Al2O3 nanocomposites.The band gap of epoxy and its nanocomposites was obtained at these weight ratios. Nonlinear optical properties experiments were performed using Q-switched Nd:YAG laser z-scan system.These experiments were carried out for different parameters: wavelengths (1064 nm and 532 nm), laser intensities (0.530, 0.679, and 0.772) GW/cm2 and weight ratio of Al2O3 nanocomposites. The results showed that the band gaps were decreased with increasing the weight ratio of nanoalumina except at 5wt% and the nonlinear refractive index coefficient is directly proportional to the incident intensities while o
... Show MoreThis contribution aims to investigate volume-dependent thermal and mechanical properties of the two most studied phases of molybdenum nitride (c-MoN and h-MoN) by means of the quasi-harmonic approximation approach (QHA) via first-principles calculations up to their melting point and a pressure of 12 GPa. Lattice constants, band gaps, and bulk modulus at 0 K match corresponding experimental measurements well. Calculated Bader’s charges indicate that Mo–N bonds exhibit a more ionic nature in the cubic MoN phase. Based on estimated Gibbs free energies, the cubic phase presents thermodynamic stability higher than that detected for hexagonl, with no phase transition observed in the selected T–P conditions as detected experimentall
... Show MoreVanadium dioxide nanofilms are one of the most essential materials in electronic applications like smart windows. Therefore, studying and understanding the optical properties of such films is crucial to modify the parameters that control these properties. To this end, this work focuses on investigating the opacity as a function of the energy directed at the nanofilms with different thicknesses(1–100) nm. Effective mediator theories(EMTs), which are considered as the application of Bruggeman’s formalism and the Looyenga mixing rule, have been used to estimate the dielectric constant of VO2 nanofilms. The results show different opacity behaviors at different wavelength ranges(ultraviolet, visible, and infrared). The results depict that th
... Show MoreThin films of tin sulfide (SnS) were prepared by thermal evaporation technique on glass substrates, with thickness in the range of 100, 200 and 300nm and their physical properties were studied with appropriate techniques. The phase of the synthesized thin films was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. Further, the crystallite size was calculated by Scherer formula and found to increase from 58 to 79 nm with increase of thickness. The obtained results were discussed in view of testing the suitability of SnS film as an absorber for the fabrication of low-cost and non toxic solar cell. For thickness, t=300nm, the films showed orthorhombic OR phase with a strong (111) preferred orientation. The films deposited with thickness < 200nm deviate
... Show MoreNon thermal argon plasma needle at atmospheric pressure was constructed. The experimental set up was based on simple and low cost electric components that generate electrical field sufficiently high at the electrodes to ionize various gases which flow at atmospheric pressure. A high AC power supply was used with 9.6kV peak to peak and 33kHz frequency. The plasma was generated using two electrodes. The voltage and current discharge waveform were measured. The temperature of Ar gas plasma jet at different gas flow rate and distances from the plasma electrode was also recorded. It was found that the temperature increased with increasing frequency to reach the maximum value at 15 kHz, and that the current leading the voltage, which demonstra
... Show MoreThe alloys of CdSe1-xTex compound have been prepared from their elements successfully with high purity (99.9999%) which mixed stoichiometry ratio (x=0.0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0) of (Cd, Se and Te) elements. Films of CdSe1-xTex alloys for different values of composition with thickness(0.5?m) have been prepared by thermal evaporation method at cleaned glass substrates which heated at (473K) under very low pressure (4×10-5mbar) at rate of deposition (3A?/s), after that thin films have been heat treated under low pressure (10-2mbar) at (523K) for two hours. The optical studies revealed that the absorption coefficient (?) is fairly high. It is found that the electronic transitions in the fundamental absorption edge tend to be allowed direct tr
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